I travelled under blue skies and arrived under dark grey ones - it chucked it down with rain! A mud sodden half mile tramp followed, to be confronted with this (I wasn't wearing wellies!) ....
Having come all that way, I nearly resorted to a barefoot paddle but my new goretex trainers saved the day as I tiptoed through the flood and unbelievably the feet stayed dry!!
There was a fourfold reason for being there, namely Velvet Scoter, Smew, Long-tailed Duck and Willow Tit. The redhead Smew took over 30 mins to find and sooo distant, I didn't even think of pointing a camera! The Velvet Scoter took a further hour - courtesy of another birder jamming onto it! The LT Duck had probably cleared out but who know and as for WillowTit?? I was assured they were almost 'guaranteed' but the only lookalike visitor to the feeder was a Marsh Tit.....
And for what it's worth this Reed Bunting!
Oh well, two out of four targets species will do...... I'm sure a rarity/scarcity will be featuring soon??
